The Beast Within
by April Dawn Irene
Summary: Robert James had plenty of reasons to not take on a student of his own after he earned his stripes. It really was for the safety of everyone involved that he left the school.
1. Prologue: The Beast Within

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I also don't own much besides my computer, my guitar, and my saxophone.

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The Beast Within

Prologue:

Robert James hated secrets. He hated that he had to wear long sleeves to hide the Tattoo that marked him as a Pai Zhuq Master. He hated not letting his Father know where he was. He hated how he was forced to push away every single person that dared to get close to him. Secrets existed for a reason, and while he understood all too well that sometimes, he had to lie, he hated it all. He hated the loneliness that came along when all of his customers had left for the day and he was forced to shut down and return to his quiet, solitary existence.

But it was all for a reason, a reason, that RJ was certain, was of the utmost importance. Even if the world fell apart and the Order of the Claw was forced into the public view, that would not be nearly as bad as the consequences of letting his innermost secret be known to anyone. Beyond his mastery of the wolf technique, there was something inside, something not at all human. His Wolf Spirit was tainted, and so was he.

* * *

It had started on a late summer camping trip with his father shortly after his thirteenth birthday. He'd only just begun learning to control his Wolf Spirit and despite all his protests, his Father had kept going on about teaching him the Shark Technique while they sat at the campfire. He'd been so angry that he couldn't sleep, and wound up walking off in the night; too upset to fully pay attention to his surroundings until he tripped over a fallen branch and into a drop nearly six feet below. His leg was broken or so he had guessed with heavy consideration of the level of pain that shot through it with every movement. His wrist was only sprained, and although it caused pain to move, neither injury would be anything compared to what would happen later on that fateful night as the full moon rose high in the sky above.

He remembered the way every hair on his body stood on end before he ever heard it approach. He still awoke to nightmares of that night with every muscle in his body tensed and his Animal Spirit close to the surface in preparation for battle. The blood chilling howls and snarls that had preceded the attack still haunted him every moment he was alone but worst of all was what had been left behind. His Animal Spirit had prevented the grotesque creature from killing him and had, in a way, put an end to it's reign of terror, but not before it could infect RJ. No, he hadn't been _that _lucky.

He'd passed out at some point, only to awaken many miles away from where he'd begun, naked, confused, covered in blood, and surprisingly able to move around in only mild discomfort. He'd washed it all away in an icy cold creek. It was the creek that had brought the night's events back to him, and he had sobbed in despair as he realized what must have happened. He was a werewolf, an abomination of a creature so horrible and tainted that he had been sure that he would never live a normal life again.

He'd followed the creek upstream for days, stopping only to eat and sleep until he'd happened upon a summer camp, recently devoid of any campers with a few odds and ends left behind. He'd found clothing, a map, and a compass in the office as well as a small selection of shelf-stable foods in the mess hall. He had been forced to continue onwards, though this time he followed the road and before long was stopped by a ranger who recognized him as the boy who'd been missing for nearly a week

He had felt stunned, when he realized just how much his Father had worried, and guilt seemed to stab at his heart as he was forced to make a cover story full of ugly lies. He had never lied to his Father like that prior to that day. Thankfully though, no one involved caught onto his dishonesty and he returned to Pai Zhuq Academy a week later, only to have the truth forced from him by his Master.

While RJ had been the only person with a Wolf Spirit at the school, he did have a Master. Oh yes, Master Marcus Swoop was the man RJ answered to each day. He responded well to the Bat Master. After all, if one could overcome blindness, to become a Pai Zhuq Master, then certainly the man deserved his utmost respect. However, Swoop was not blind to the sudden changes that occurred not only in RJ's demeanor, but his scent and his Animal Spirit. For all Master Swoop could not see, such things stood out to him like a beacon in the darkness and he had immediately brought these things up to Master Mao, who had called RJ to his office where the two Masters gently pulled the truth from him.

He had felt so horrible while he explained what happened as if speaking of it made it even more real. He hadn't even yet figured out what he'd do on the night of the next Full Moon but Master Mao and Master Swoop had a solution for which RJ was grateful. He continued his studies, though he was given his own room near Master Swoop's as to avoid any questions from the other students when those nights came that RJ would be locked inside a secret room beneath the school, while Master Swoop and Master Mao took turns sitting by the door, only to open it up and tend to him when the morning came and he recovered. They had suggested that he allow them to throw in something for the beast to prey upon to distract it from trying to escape, but he refused every time despite the fact he seemed to come out of the locked room worse than when he'd been locked in, sometimes requiring assistance to his quarters.

And when he finally got his Stripes, and Master Mao and Master Swoop asked him to stay at the school as a Master, he was forced to refuse. He needed to find someplace he wouldn't be a danger to anyone and while it had taken months before he found the perfect place, it was so very satisfying when he had. First he had fixed up the underbelly of the building to serve as his own personal cage, and for lack of any way to lock himself in, he called upon Marcus Swoop to lock him in and let him out on those nights and the older Master had obliged. Slowly but surely he turned the building into much more than it was. First he fixed up the loft to be livable for when he wasn't a Monster and then, Jungle Karma Pizza came into existence after Marcus suggested he run some sort of a business.

It wasn't until Master Mao called upon him again, that he had worried. The ancient and wise Master worried that a new time of darkness would come upon them, that somehow, the ancient evil entity called Dai Shi would be released from the heavily guarded room the dark spirit was kept in, and would start a new Beast War, and this time, it would all be impossible to hide from the rest of the population who knew nothing of the original Beast War that had nearly caused the Order of the Claw to die off, and take Pai Zhuq Academy down with it.

He had, with much luck, found someone who could hook him up with something to be used to protect the general populace. He'd been so unsure about it, and Master Mao directed him to only use the devices if he was forced to send the Guardians to him. RJ had prayed every night to the powers that be in the world, that it would not come to that. He did not want to put anyone else at risk. He was sure he would not be able to live with himself if he did.

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Author's Note: Thank you for reading. Now if you will just click on that button in the middle of the screen (Or wherever it is now...) and leave a review, I would be very pleased to hear what you think. If you are not a registered member of and you would like for me to respond to your review, please register as it is against 's policy to allow authors to leave replies to reviewers in Author notes. Thanks again.


	2. Chapter 1: Bump In the Night

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. How many times must I type it?

Author Note: This Chapter is proudly brought to you by the minds of both myself and pikachucranstongirl. If it weren't for her, I don't think I could have gotten through this particular beast of a chapter.

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The Beast Within

Chapter One: Bump in the Night

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The day that Dai Shi escaped came all too soon. RJ wasn't sure of the specifics but he had smelled the Pai Zhuq students the moment they entered. After all, they had treked though the wilderness that separated the Academy from the rest of the modern world. It left a distinct scent that had him making a near-fatal mistake with a pizza as he realized the implications of their arrival at his Pizzeria. The full moon had been rapidly approaching, and at first he refused to take them in. He hadn't anticipated just how badly they needed a new Master though. While the short young man named Theo and the blonde young lady called Lily were adequate, if not a bit naive; The tall brunette he came to learn was named Casey, was only a Cub and seemed to be completely out of place. He later learned of the reason Casey was there instead of another, more experienced student and the knowledge left him wanting to tell off the now deceased Master Mao for putting him up to this and making it harder than it should be.

Regardless, time passed quickly and Casey had begun to catch up to the others through much training. He'd managed to hide his affliction without any question from his new students and housemates. It didn't stop his worries though, he took precautions, especially during the days immediately before and after his transformation but he knew just one slip up and it could all be for naught. There was only so much he could pass off as normal personality quirks, and he knew he got strange looks sometimes, especially when it came to his eating habits, especially when the moon was close to full.

The worst of it began and ended with Dai Shi. Every single bone in his body told him not to do it; Not to give up himself in exchange for the safety of the rangers, but he'd had no other choice. They weren't ready to fight Dai Shi. He'd refused to fight, and in the end, he still wasn't sure that had been his best option. The cravings he normally had around a Full Moon were worse than normal and he was sure the barrier between him and the beast had been broken down if his waking up in the middle of town was anything to go by.

* * *

Casey found himself perplexed by RJ's behavior ever since they'd broken him out of Dai Shi's lair. In fact, the behavior of the Wolf Master was very concerning and left Casey unable to sleep. At first, he'd been dozing off, but then he'd snapped awake, sure he'd heard noises. They were the kind of noises that had kept him up as a kid. The muted canine snarls that could only come from a monster.

At first, he'd tried to convince himself they were only in his imagination, that the whole ordeal in the Spirit World had his brain working overtime to compensate for the weirdness of it all, but even then, they didn't stop, and they got worse. He tiptoed downstairs, and much to his horror, the sounds only got clearer once he'd made it into the kitchen. Even then, they sounded like they were coming from below and Casey spent five minutes searching before he found a trap door he'd never noticed before. There was a rickety ladder leading downwards into the dark basement.

Slowly he descended down until he reached the concrete floor of the basement, lit only by a single dimming bulb. There was a lull of silence, and for a moment, Casey almost forgot what had drawn him down here, or at least he did until the trap door slammed shut with a loud bang. Once it was again silent, Casey could hear breaths that were not his own and frantically he spun around, his eyes falling upon a lupine figure in the shadows.

"RJ?" he called out to the figure, sure that his imagination was playing tricks on him again and making the Wolf Master appear in the form of a wolf. It wasn't until the wolf snarled and snapped at him that he realized his mistake. He made a mad dash for the ladder, climbing up quickly as the beast slowly followed, it's yellow eyes keeping track of every movement he made.

There was only one thing keeping Casey from climbing back upstairs. The trap door wouldn't budge. Casey was putting every ounce of raw strength against the trap door and still, not a single movement. It felt like it was stuck.

That was when the wolf lunged, it's teeth glinting in the light as they snapped and caught Casey's leg, it's sharp teeth digging in past pajama material and into the sensitive flesh of his left calf. He could not hold back the scream that tore from his throat as he tried to fight the beast and get away.

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Author Note: Okay now this is the part where you press the Review button and leave your thoughts. I apologize for the shortness of this chapter but that just couldn't be helped... Here's hoping my brain provides more material for the next chapter.


	3. Chapter 2: Red Dawn

Disclaimer: If I owned PRJF then lets just say that RJ and Casey wouldn't be the only two in the show that weren't in some sort of romantic relationship. They'd probably have each other. But of course, I don't own it, and even if I did, the show probably wouldn't air because it would likely go above the rating of Y-7, or whatever it is now... I do however, own the thoughts that flit through my twisted mind.

Author Note: Well, I was hoping for more input from my readers but I guess people need some time to get used to the idea of RJ as an actual Werewolf... It's not my fault not enough people review... C'mon, you guys! Review already!

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The Beast Within

Chapter 2: Red Dawn

The first thing RJ became aware of was the stark chill of the concrete floor beneath him. The next, was that he was somewhat sore. It wasn't unusual but he opened his eyes to survey any damage to his body that might linger from the transformation. His human eyes struggled to see in the dark room and his foggy mind reasoned that the bulb must have gone out. It had, after all, been threatening to, but for the sake of trying to hide his secret, he had constantly put the matter off, and not thought about it if he could help it.

He realized, quite suddenly that there was a nasty taste in his mouth, and that he was very, thirsty. He got to his feet, and stumbled around until his hands made contact with the cold concrete brick wall of the basement and he felt around until he came across the former laundry-room sink. There was another light there, he knew, and he felt around for the chain and yanked it before the light flicked on. It was dim, but provided enough light that RJ was able to survey the damage the beast had done.

He was bloody, and there were a few places where he bore scratches that were deep enough they had a good chance of scaring. The scratches, while deeper than usual, weren't all that unusual. The Beast had a habit of leaving a physical mark or two every transformation, and he knew he bore bite marks from the Beast as well. He had long ago figured that such things were the result of caging the Beast that took over his body and mind every full moon. He allowed the water to run till it was comfortably warm, and he slowly washed the sweat, blood, and grime from his body.

Once clean, he let the water run cold, and rinsed his face, the icy cold water awoke the senses that had been dulled by the strain the Transformation inflicted upon his body. He turned and stretched, taking in a deep breath only to stop in his tracks as his enhanced sense of smell caught the scent of blood that was not his own.

He looked around, wildly searching for the source, until he spotted something in a dark corner that he was sure had been devoid of anything the night before. His heart pounded in his head as he cautiously approached the figure lying in front of him. He felt physically ill as he realized the form looked more and more human the closer he got.

It was Casey, lying on the floor, he realized in utter horror. He could see the bite marks on the boy's leg. There was no question as to what had happened. The shredded clothing near the trap door was a testament to the fact. Whatever had happened to drive Casey down here, to the one room he'd done his very best to hide the existence of, he didn't know, but he knew one thing; He had just committed the one act he had tried so very hard to avoid, and now... Well, now he didn't know what was going to happen.

He was on the verge of panic, unsure what to do. In an instant, he found himself checking to make sure Casey was alive. His pulse was weak, but it was there, and it appeared as though the Red Ranger were merely sleeping deeply.

* * *

_Pain_

That was the first thing that registered within the Tiger Ranger's mind.

_Wolf – Pain_

He recalled quite vividly how the wolf had lunged at him, and the pain that ensued when it's sharp teeth sunk into his flesh. It had not been a dream, or even a particularly strange nightmare. After all, nightmares didn't end with burning pain like this. Beyond the pain, he felt so strange, so strangely numb in a way, as though his whole body had fallen asleep apart from his injured leg.

Ever so slowly, he became aware of more; of the sensation of cold air against his skin, a cold, moist cloth against his forehead, and the sound of someone near him. A low murmur of a male voice, a murmured reply in return... He was unable to discern any particular words, but the emotions behind them... The first voice, he guessed, was reassuring the other. Try as he might, he could not discern any particular words; The voices were too muffled for that. Beyond that, he could hear the low roar of something.

_Too Cold..._

He meant to move away, to turn, and cover himself but his limbs seemed uncooperative, though he managed to turn his head slightly.

* * *

RJ had barely managed to begin cleaning up the mess the night's events had left, when the trap door opened, and Master Marcus Swoop descended the steps.

"RJ, I apologize. I was not able to come last night to lock the trap door..." the Bat Master began to explain, looking and sounding quite ill to the Wolf Master.

"We failed..." RJ began. His own voice sounded so hollow, so broken. "I failed..."

"RJ, whatever has happened..." Marcus began, only for RJ to continue.

"He doesn't deserve this... Not Casey... I'm a monster and now he is too. I turned Casey into a Monster. I should have never agreed to take them in. I should have shot myself the moment I knew what I had become that night..."

"Robert, the day is still young yet. Do not speak of such things. We will bring him up to your room and remedy this as best we can..."

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A/N2: In reality, I should have posted this sooner, but between the site being a pain in the buttocks with the whole error type 2 thing and my own tendency to procrastinate I kept waiting to post it... So anyway, please take the time to review. They really do inspire me to write more.


	4. Chapter 3: What Eats You From The Inside

Author's Note: I had gotten somewhat frustrated with this chapter at one point and let it sit for a while, which was partially responsible for the length of time I did not post the promised "third" chapter. I do apologize, but also at fault were some circumstances in my life that made it hard to get up the courage to get up out of bed and face the day. They do say it is the Artists, Writers, and Musicians of the world who tend to suffer the most from the mental issues that plague the human mind. However, recently things started looking up or at least, I started feeling a bit better about myself, life, and the world in general. Upon writing what turned into nearly thirteen full pages of text, in Times New Roman size 12, I decided I would need to downsize it a bit, or at least make this bit last more than just one chapter. The length issue is all due to the previous chapters. I haven't gone over three pages before with this particular fic. So I hope you will forgive my failings and enjoy this chapter and the upcoming ones. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers or anything affiliated with them. I also don't own the idea of werewolves as those have been in folklore for centuries, and someone probably thought them up before my ancestors were even gathered around a roaring fire. Basically, the only things I own are the little details that pop into my head from time to time and the laptop I acquired from my niece. Please refrain from attempting to sue me. I don't need that kind of stress, nor would you get much out of it.

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The Beast Within

Chapter Three: What Eats You From the Inside.

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It was true. The morning was still young. When they reached the loft, he saw that the sun had just begun to rise over the mountains to the east of the city. They had laid Casey's unconscious form upon the soft down comforter that topped RJ's bed and brought a sheet over him.

The unconscious state that Casey continued to be in was worrisome, and the fever he had developed since RJ had initially checked added to his fears. Casey had not so much as shifted as he had carried him upstairs. He had no way of knowing just how the Tiger Ranger would be affected.

"Why is he like this?" he had whispered to himself, only to be answered by the Bat Master, whose hearing was better than his own even near a full moon.

"RJ, you are a Wolf; He's a Tiger. I would suspect your animal spirits would react to the intrusion of the Werewolf in very different ways. There is so little known of such things though, so all we know are theories and not proven facts." The Bat Master murmured. "Just know that none of this is your fault. You have no control of what the Beast does, nor did you know that Casey would happen upon it."

No, you're wrong." RJ stated grimly, "I could have prevented this. I could have said no when Master Mao told me of his worries about Dai Shi and set all of this up..."

"Then who would he have turned to? There are few Masters outside of the school willing to take in a full time student, let alone three, despite Master Mao choosing them as the Guardians. You have seen this with your own eyes, RJ. This is not the time to be judging yourself so harshly." The Bat Master's hand was firmly clamped on his right shoulder as he said this. "You and your animal spirit may have been wounded by that creature of the woods, but you must not let it take over so fully that you doubt and punish yourself so. Whatever happened to the boy I know, who was so determined to become a Master?"

"Master or not, I still turn into a Monster every time the moon is full and lately, it seems like it's more often than that." He turned and stared into the Bat Master's unseeing eyes, which had widened in what RJ thought was horror.

"How long has this been going on? Do not lie to me Robert."

"Since I returned from Dai Shi's temple." He replied reluctantly. "There have been mornings I wake up in alleyways far from here. I've been watching the reports but there's been nothing on them about canine attacks of any kind, and there's no reason to think I've attacked anyone yet. But who knows how long I have until it takes full control?"

* * *

Master Marcus Swoop had always worried for RJ; At least, he had ever since his first day of life outside his Mother's womb. He had held RJ's mother in high esteem as a colleague but most importantly as a close friend. It was Master Finn, that he didn't quite get along with. The Shark Master could be gruff and completely unsociable but Bats flew in large numbers, and he certainly didn't go very close to water if he could help it.

He had known from the start that the one and only Son of Marian and Johnathan Finn would not take to the ocean like his parents. The boy liked water well enough, but he did not love it the way his parents did and despite his blindness, Marcus knew the boy possessed an animal spirit of a land mammal. It was only over time that he began to piece together the Boy's animal spirit from the tiny peculiarities in his behavior.

Then when Marian was taken away from them so tragically, the Wolf made itself known in a very clear way. As much as his once-student denied it, there was more than just a general training disagreement between Father and Son. It was so much more than that, and it had created the rift that both the Wolf and Shark Masters had long blamed on something so trivial as a particular technique.

He still worried for the man that boy had become. In fact, he worried all the more due to everything the Wolf Master had been forced to partake in his life thus far. This, though, brought that worry to a whole new level.

His former student felt guilty, for the very thing he had no way of controlling. If anything, it should be _him_ feeling guilty, not RJ. It was _he_ who did not come to lock the trap door as he usually did. But now it was too late and now the one student that was truly RJ's, was in grave danger.

Marcus felt weary, and not just from the illness that had kept him away. It was from not knowing what to say. Though RJ himself was very wise for all of his short years in this world and he, as his Master, was more-so, this was a time that he knew there was no wise phrase out there that could convince the Wolf Master of his own innocence in this tragedy.

He listened though, to the murmued guilt-filled words that rang forth from the Wolf Master's mouth as RJ ran a cool, moist washcloth across the Tiger's body. This was, perhaps, RJ's darkest hour. Never before had the young man before him seemed so lost.

* * *

RJ had been nearly sick with worry and guilt, when finally, Casey seemed to awaken somewhat. At first, it was only a slight shift of the head, and then a groan that had both Masters on alert. His brown eyes cracked open slightly though they shut immediately and yet again, the boy shivered and moaned.

"Casey?" RJ queried, taking the Tiger Ranger's hand in his. "Casey, are you alright?"

* * *

_"Casey?"_

He thought he heard one of the voices say his name _"Casey..."_ There it was again. He was sure he heard it this time. He tried to respond, to ask what was going on. It was proving difficult to do so. His mouth and tongue just didn't seem to want to cooperate.

For lack of any other explanation, he wondered if the weird creature he'd encountered had rabies. He didn't think the terrifying creature looked rabid. Then again, he wasn't an expert on the subject or anything.

* * *

RJ had to wonder if maybe Marcus was right. Maybe Casey was responding this way because of the sheer difference between the Tiger and the Werewolf curse. Then again, he wasn't quite sure that was a good thing. There was little known about Werewolves and considering everything that RJ himself had discovered over the years through his own experiences, and of course, for a time, his Masters' observations, he had to wonder if perhaps the reason there was so little known about the curse, was related to the fact that he had, apparently awoken from his own nighttime encounter with little trouble. Perhaps the bottom of the matter was that having a Wolf Spirit had allowed him to recover quickly after the attack. Perhaps Casey's Tiger Spirit and the curse were so incompatible that it was making his Student this deathly ill.

He wished he had the answers, and not some useless theories that had been pulled out of thin air, because there were no answers to be given. RJ himself had never met another like himself, aside from the creature that had infected him and RJ was sure that didn't count. He had realized his fate on his own, and had been forced to learn and cope with the little quirks that went along with it, all on his own. He wasn't even sure what had applied to him would apply to Casey, should the boy pull through this strange illness.

He hated not having any control over the situation at hand. It was bad enough he lost control of his own body at least once a month, to a beast so horrible and terrifying that it had been in the scarier bits of folklore for centuries. Now though, Casey would likely experience the same loss of control. Judging from what he knew of his Student, he was sure that would not go over well.

Shrugging off the thoughts, RJ decided his efforts were best placed into trying to bring down the boy's temperature, but that didn't stop his mind from running a hundred miles a minute.

Casey had been an enigma when he, Lily, and Theo had come to JKP. He had been surprised to learn that while Theo and Lily had been training for a while, Casey had only been a new recruit, barely in the first stages of his training. He did pick things up quickly enough, though RJ wasn't sure if it was because the boy felt it his duty, or for some other reason. It didn't help that Theo often made jokes about the boy's need to train, but RJ was sure he had made the right decision in choosing a leader. Even if the boy sometimes stumbled a bit in the leadership department. It wasn't as though he expected perfection.

He was sure, provided the boy continued to work at it, that Casey would become a Master within a year or two, with three years being at the very far end of his esitmated time-line. Yes, sometimes he pressed him too hard, and Casey seemed to be easily upset at times. However, if he hadn't been forced to struggle with the affliction he'd been cursed with in his youth, RJ was sure he would have willingly taken Casey on as a student, without Master Mao's insistence that he be the one to deal with things regarding Dai Shi.

But this... Casey wouldn't expect, let alone be able to cope with this on his plate as well. How would he explain to the others the reason why on certain nights, that Casey would not be sleeping in his usual place? It wasn't so hard to explain his own absence. In fact, he was under the impression that none of his students had even noticed that there were nights he was mysteriously absent. But Casey's absence would be noticed. How could it not; After all, the boy did sleep in the main part of the loft while the other two each had an actual bedroom and much more privacy. He knew the boy didn't particularly mind the odd sleeping arrangements. After all, there were times at night that RJ had, unknown to the boy, spotted him awake, watching the Moon and Stars through the glass above.

He was shaken out of his thoughts by Marcus, who insisted he take a shower and freshen up. After all, he wouldn't be of much use if he smelled of sweat and blood. He hadn't protested. He couldn't find it in him to do so after the Bat Master assured him that Casey would likely remain out cold until he returned. He turned the hot water up and tried not to think about anything besides the task of washing up.

* * *

He had returned, clean, and smelling of his favorite soap. It smelled of a pine forest, a scent that always calmed both him and the wolf inside or so it had seemed. He felt a bit shaky though, and the shower had done nothing to ease his worry. He would be glad to hear so much as a word from Casey's mouth, but that had not yet happened and he had found Master Swoop sitting at the head of the bed with the same wet cloth he had been using to try and cool Casey off with earlier.

"Any change?" he quietly asked, his throat rough with emotion.

"He began whimpering for a bit after you left the room. I am unsure if that was due to his sensing your exit, the pain he must be feeling from his injured leg, or the curse." Marcus answered, his voice low. "He's sleeping again, or unconscious. It's always difficult to tell the difference." RJ furrowed his eyebrows at the information and took the boy's limp hand in his own, his heart sinking as he felt just how hot to the touch his Student was.

"What will I tell Theo and Lily when they ask why Casey is not only, not up and doing his duties downstairs, but absent from his usual place?"

"Tell them he fell ill in the night and you are nursing him back to health. They shouldn't question it, and if they do you can always tell them you suspect whatever he has to be contagious and would rather not put them at risk as well. It will keep them off your back for a while at least, and I'm sure you've trained them well enough they can manage for a while without you or him." the Bat Master gestured to the boy laying before them.

"I don't like the idea of lying to them..." RJ murmured, realizing that was exactly what he would have to say.

"Is it really such a huge lie? Casey is ill, and I'm sure, to anyone he would appear seriously so. The curse is contagious... You did pass it along to him, despite taking every precaution you could to avoid that outcome. I'm sure that Master Mao would agree with me; That it isn't lying so much as bending the truth to protect both yourself and Casey. You could tell them the whole truth if you wish, though I doubt their reactions would be as mature as mine and Mao's were."

"I suppose you are right about that. Bending the truth seems to be the only way." It was lucky that they came upon a story to give. Theo was always an early riser. Even the one time the young man had gotten sick, since his arrival, he had been up and intent on working and training. It had taken RJ nearly an hour to convince the sneezing Blue Ranger to go back to bed. Lily on the other hand, would sleep in when the opportunity presented itself.

It occurred to him in a flash of clarity that he could avoid directly lying to his Students' faces by merely posting a note on the refrigerator. He got up from where he knelt beside Marcus and and exited the bedroom with a practiced lack of excess noise. He walked over to where his computer sat in the loft, and grabbed a piece of printer paper and an ink pen, only to quickly jot down a note to the other rangers.

* * *

Author's Note: Okay so that was about three and a half pages worth of actual story. I hope you enjoyed reading. It seemed like I had hit a natural spot at which to cut it off and end the chapter. There will be more coming. I just have to retype the rest into one or two new documents because the layout got messed up and refused to let me correct it. Anyway, you know the rest of the drill; Leave a review and if you leave a signed review I can reply to it. If you don't... Well, if you had questions or suggestions, I won't be able to reply because there are some rules in place that forbid an Author to post replies to their readers inside a chapter.

Also, as for any errors there may be... I'm having a hard time focusing on things today and figuring out what should be capitalized and what shouldn't be are rather tough to figure out sometimes. I do try to fix my errors as soon as I know of them though, which is why you may realize there are double alerts of there being a new chapter. Sorry about that.


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